


Not the Worst Thing

by lunabelle



Series: AU One-Shot Collection [4]
Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bad Weather, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Injury Recovery, Major Character Injury, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-10
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-30 11:47:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10876149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunabelle/pseuds/lunabelle
Summary: The last thing April wanted to do was sprain her ankle, but when Andy jumps at the chance to take care of her, she realizes that maybe her situation isn't so bad.





	Not the Worst Thing

**Author's Note:**

> Requested anonymously on tumblr as a pre-relationship AU

Spraining her ankle was certainly not on April’s list of things to do that particular Friday. She had every intention of going to work like usual, reading the day away at her desk, and coming home to an empty house for the weekend while her parents took her sister Natalie on a tour of some college in Chicago. They wouldn’t be back until Sunday night, and April couldn’t have been happier.

Then she had to go and trip on Jerry’s stupid briefcase.

She hit the floor with a thud, landing on her right ankle at just the wrong angle. Nearly everyone in the office ran forward, while Jerry stuttered out apologies in the background. Had she not been immobile on the floor, she would’ve stabbed him with his own scissors.

“April, are you okay?” Leslie asked, diving down beside her. “Jerry!” she glared at the older man. “Look what you did!”

“Yeah Jerry!” Tom yelled, throwing his arms up in the air.

Ron emerged from his office after the commotion, silently reaching out an arm for April to grasp as she struggled to stand.

“I’m fine,” she huffed, but no sooner had she put any pressure on her ankle than she buckled, only to be caught by both Leslie and Ron.

“You’re not okay, girl,” Donna shook her head. “You can’t walk.”

“Jerry, if you broke my leg I’m gonna put such a curse on you!” she scowled, as Ron helped lower her into a chair. He examined her ankle carefully, gently prodding it with his fingers. “Ow!” she yelled. “That friggin’ hurts…”

“It’s not broken,” Ron announced, standing up. “But it’s definitely sprained. As much as I hate to say it, you’re going to need to see a doctor.”

Of all the terrible luck. April couldn’t believe it. What was she supposed to do? Call her parents and tell them to come home? Even as she mulled the options over, her ankle was starting to bruise and swell.

“Hey guys,” Andy strolled into the bull pen, smiling jovially and munching on a bag of chips. When April saw him, her heart skipped a little. Ever since they hung out that afternoon while everyone was on that lame hunting trip, it seemed as though she couldn’t get enough of his company. In fact, she kind of craved it.

“Hey Andy,” Leslie said, not looking up as she dragged another chair over to prop up April’s foot.

“What’s going on?” His smile faded when he saw them crowded around April and her leg. “April, are you okay? What happened to your foot?”

“Jerry broke it,” she spat.

Andy whipped his head around, aghast. “Jerry!”

“It’s not broken,” Ron said again, much louder. “It’s sprained, son. She needs to go get it x-rayed to be sure.”

“I need someone to drive me,” April groaned miserably.

“I’ll do it!” Andy said quickly, tossing the bag of chips—where they exploded open on Jerry’s desk—and hurrying forward. “Let me take her.”

April smiled, just enough that no one would notice. “Okay,” she said quickly.

“Want one of us to come too?” Leslie asked kindly. “I can’t go because I have a meeting, but I can make Tom—“

“Nooooo!” Tom whined. “I can’t! I hate hospitals!”

“I don’t need him,” April rolled her eyes. “Andy’s fine by himself. Right?” she glanced up at him.

“Duh, of course I can,” he puffed his chest out proudly. “Let’s go.” Without a moment’s notice, he bent down and scooped April into his arms, bridal style, like she weighed practically nothing.

She felt the whoosh of air as he lifted her, and her face reddened with a mixture of embarrassment and excitement. She clutched around his neck, although she was fairly certain he would never drop her. Unless he tripped, but that was another issue…

“Be careful Andy,” Leslie sighed. “Please, just be careful.”

“I will,” he nodded.

“Call us when you find out?” the blonde woman added.

“Fine,” April rolled her eyes.

“Be careful!” Leslie called out to them one more time. “The weather is supposed to get pretty nasty later, so make sure you—“

_“I got it Leslie, God!”_

As Andy carried her out of the office, April could faintly hear Tom’s groan of disgust as Ron ordered him to take over April’s assistant duties for the day. As much as her current situation sucked, she couldn’t help but grin.

 

“Definitely sprained,” Dr. Harris droned, holding up the x-ray in his office nearly two hours later. “Gonna need to get some crutches and keep off it for a while.”

“How long’s a while?” April sighed, sitting with Andy beside her.

“About six weeks,” he said, in his ever-monotone voice. “We’ll put a protective brace on it. Once it starts to heal, you can do some therapy to help with the recovery.”

“Six weeks?” April slouched back in the chair.

“Yup,” he replied, jotting down some notes without looking at her.

“It’s okay April,” Andy said reassuringly, smiling wide. “I can help you.”

“Do you have someone home with you?” Dr. Harris asked.

April bit her lip. “Yes,” she muttered. 

“Okay. I’ll write you a prescription for the pain. Ice it, keep it elevated, and call me in the morning to let me know how it looks.” Dr. Harris scribbled something down on a pad and tore it off, handing it to April.

Andy scooped her up easily again, and together they went to go get her a pair of crutches, much to April’s chagrin.

Okay, so maybe truthfully no one was home with her. She was totally fine with the idea of Andy staying with her. All she had to do was drum up the courage to ask him.

 

“So, um,” Andy glanced at her as he drove them back to April’s house. “You sure you’ll be okay after I drop you off? Your mom and dad are home, right?”

“Well,” April sighed, tapping her knee with her finger and avoiding his eyes. “Not exactly.”

It had started to rain hard. The road was already a mess, and Andy had to pull over at least twice to wait for the downpour to slow.

“What d’you mean?” he asked innocently.

“I mean I lied to Dr. Harris,” she said casually. “My parents and sister are out of town for the weekend, and I didn’t want him to call them or anything.”

“So,” Andy screwed up his face, like he was thinking hard. “What are you gonna do? You can’t walk—“

“I was kinda hoping maybe you’d stay with me?” she asked, the words tumbling out all at once.

“Oh,” Andy said, looking momentarily confused. “Oh!” his face split into a toothy grin a moment later. “Yeah, totally!”

“Really?” April perked up immediately.

“Yeah, of course!” he nodded. “Definitely!”

“Cool,” she tried to calm herself, lest her quickly reddening face betray her. It was getting harder and harder not to get this way around Andy Dwyer. “Thanks.”

 

After stopping to pick up her crutches and pain medication, as well as a half hour car ride that should’ve really only taken ten minutes, they finally arrived at April’s house. Andy placed her carefully on the couch, gathering up several pillows to elevate her foot and ordering a pizza for dinner.

April watched him hurry around the house, a giant, clumsy mess of a person, but she loved every bit of it. He smiled the entire time, casually telling her about what it was like when he’d broken both his legs and how tough it was to do anything. Luckily, and to her immense satisfaction, he left out any bits involving Ann Perkins, glossing over areas where her name would normally come up.

Finally, Andy plopped down on the couch beside her.

“Need anything?” he asked, his ever-present smile making her heart thump. His green eyes were soft and warm, and his was breathing quick after all his rushing around, but he looked like he couldn’t be happier to be there.

“No, I’m fine,” she said. “It’s just nice to relax.”

In truth, her ankle really hurt. The swelling had stopped, but it still throbbed with pain every few minutes and the bruising had turned it an ugly shade of purple. The pain medicine took a while to kick in.

“Here,” Andy said softly, reaching forward and gently messaging her calf muscle. He didn’t seem the least bit hesitant with his actions, but April jumped at his touch. “Sorry—“ he said quickly, yanking his hand away.

“No, it’s…it’s fine,” she breathed. “Just…wasn’t expecting that.”

“Oh, okay…” slowly, Andy resumed his previous position. “This helps,” he said, his large, strong hand rubbing and kneading gently. “Believe me, I’ve broken so many bones in my life, I know all the tricks.” He smiled at her.

It felt amazing. For a big, clumsy guy, he was extremely dexterous. She guessed being a guitarist helped in that area. His hands were big and warm, and she could feel herself finally starting to relax.

“Mmm,” she groaned appreciatively, not even bothering to stop herself from making the sound.

“Good?” he asked hopefully.

“Yes,” she sighed. “Perfect…”

Andy was about to say something else, but the doorbell and the arrival of the pizza distracted him. He hopped up off the couch—taking his hand with him, to April’s dismay—and answered the door.

“Man, it’s really coming down out there,” Andy said, returning a minute later with the steaming hot pizza. “The sky is crazy dark and the wind is insane…”

April sat up a little, reaching for the remote to check the weather report. No sooner had she changed the channel than a large, red banner ran across the bottom of the screen. In capital letters, it blared a message about a tornado watch that had recently upgraded to a tornado warning for Pawnee, Eagleton, and the surrounding areas.

“Andy…” she said slowly, as he rummaged around in her fridge for something to drink. “You should come see this.”

“What’s up?” He cracked open two cans of ginger ale and placed them on the coffee table.

“Look,” she pointed.

The weatherman on screen was gesturing to a map of Indiana, before shifting away to some live footage from various parts of Pawnee. 

_“—located in any of the surrounding area, you must seek shelter immediately. Head to the basement and wait it out. Make sure to have a flashlight, matches, blankets, water, first aid kit—“_

“Wow,” Andy breathed. “I mean…”

“Should we get into the basement?” April asked, unsure. She’d never been in a tornado before, even having lived in Indiana her entire life. There’d been a couple of times where they’d come close, but it was never this serious.

 _“Once again, we advise that you seek shelter immediately,”_ the weatherman repeated. _“Wind speeds—“_

The television went out with a pop, along with all the electricity in the rest of the house. April glanced around nervously.

“Andy, we need to get in the basement.”

“Way ahead of you,” he nodded, standing quickly.

The wind howled outside as branches scraped against the windows. By now, the rain was coming down in waves, the roaring of the storm loud in their ears.

Like he’d been doing so often that day, Andy lifted April up. As much as she loved it, April didn’t want him to think she was completely helpless. After all, that’s what her crutches were for.

“Andy,” she laughed lightly. “I can walk—“

“Oh, I know,” he shrugged. “I just like carrying you.”

That familiar blush was creeping it’s way up her neck again, and April couldn’t do a thing about it.

“Plus,” Andy went on, making his way to the basement. “you’re light as a feather, and I’m super strong.”

It was hard to argue with that, so she didn’t.

There wasn’t much in the Ludgates’ basement except a coupe of shelving units, her dad’s tools that he rarely used, boxes upon boxes of old clothes, toys from April’s childhood, and seasonal decorations. Andy placed her gingerly on the floor and stood up again, turning back toward the stairs.

“Hey,” April sat up in alarm. “Andy, you have to stay down here. You heard them, there’s a tornado—“

“I’ll be right back, I promise!” he hurried up the stairs.

“Andy!”

He was already gone. April stomach was in knots while she waited for him, the seconds ticking by in silence. She could hear her own heart pounding too loudly.

Just as she was about to crawl her way up the stairs to make sure he was okay, she heard him. There was a rush of sound as the door opened again, and for a moment she could hear the roar of the storm. Then he closed it again, and his heavy footsteps thumped down the stairs.

In his arms, Andy balanced the pizza and their drinks on top of a badly folded comforter. Sticking out of the pocket of his jeans was April’s pain medicine for her ankle, and the large candle her mother kept on the stovetop in the kitchen.

“Back!” he announced, plopping down beside her. “I brought our pizza, and some other stuff.”

“Andy,” April muttered, once she felt like she could finally breathe again. “You took so long…”

“I know, I had to go find a comforter upstairs,” he said apologetically. “I hope you don’t mind.”

She smiled, shaking her head. “I don’t, it’s just—“

“Aww,” he grinned at her. “You were worried about me!”

“Okay dork,” she rolled her eyes. “Forget it, okay? You just made me nervous.”

Andy just laughed, the jovial sound echoing in the small space around them as he emptied his pockets. April watched him in silence. “So,” he looked around once he was finished, sizing up the items around them. “I guess we just have to wait it out?”

“Yeah,” April nodded. “Guess so.”

“Does your dad have a flashlight somewhere?”

“He must.”

“Oh! I also have our phones,” he reached into his back pocket. “and the ice pack for your ankle.”

“Thanks.”

They sat in silence for a minute or so, listening to the constant howl of the wind. Andy’s eyes roamed the shelving, occasionally stopping on an item or two before moving on. 

This whole day had been beyond odd. It all started with stupid Jerry—she realized bitterly—and now here they were, stuck in her basement while a tornado was potentially tearing through her neighborhood. She had a bad ankle, and she was with Andy Dwyer, of all people. Not that she was complaining about that last part, but this was kind of the last situation she’d ever plan to be in. In her mind, the two of them were actually out somewhere, preferably on a real date, definitely making out...

“…what do you think?” Andy’s voice came back to her, interrupting her thoughts.

“Huh?”

“I said, you need to keep that ankle on something soft. Is there anything we can use down here?”

“My parent’s have one of those air mattresses somewhere,” she looked around, trying to spot it on one of the many crowded shelves.

“Leave it to me!” Andy bounded forward.

Surprisingly, it only took a few minutes to find. It was deflated, packed away with the battery-powered machine to pump it full of air. Luckily enough, it was right next to two large flashlights, which Andy added to his growing pile of supplies. April watched as he worked, easily inflating the mattress. He found a couple of sleeping bags—practically unused, because they never went camping—and used them for extra padding. Finally, he unfolded the comforter spread it across everything.

“Nice,” April nodded.

“Here,” Andy reached forward, helping her to scoot over and onto the mattress. Immediately, the pressure on her back and leg went away, and she sighed with relief.

“Thank you,” she mumbled, closing her eyes as she leaned back into the soft material. It was as good as they were going to get for the time being, at least while they were stuck waiting out the storm in the basement.

April’s phone buzzed beside them, making the both of them turn. Leslie’s name blared across the screen, and April snatched it up with a groan.

“Not surprised,” she muttered, and Andy nodded beside her. “Hello?”

Leslie’s voice was loud over the line. “APRIL!” she yelled. “Are you okay? Are you home? Are you in the basement—“

“Leslie!” April interrupted. “I'm fine. I'm at my house and I'm in the stupid basement, okay?”

An audible sigh could be heard. “Okay, good… I can’t believe this weather. It’s insane, I’m still at work with Ron and Tom and Donna. And Jerry, I think, but I have no idea where he is right now.”

“Uh-huh,” April listened, waiting for the frantic woman to finish.

“—Ron decided to grab his emergency whisky, in case we’re down here all night.”

“Listen, I gotta go,” April said, glancing at Andy. “I’m fine, really. Andy is with me.”

“Andy’s still there? Oh, good,” Leslie said. “Okay, well, we're in the basement at City Hall and the reception is bad, so I’ll talk to you later, okay? BE CAREFUL.”

“I know,” April rolled her eyes, and there was a click from the other end. She put the phone beside the mattress. 

“She’s intense,” Andy chuckled. “But in a good way, y’know?”

“Yeah,” April shrugged. “Guess so.”

“How’s your ankle?” he asked, reaching forward to move the ice. He paused a few inches above her, and his eyes darted toward hers. “Can I—?”

“Sure,” she said quickly.

Andy smiled, and carefully moved the ice pack. The swelling had gone down considerably, but the bruising was still getting darker. With a featherlight touch, he ran his finger from her lower calf to the heel of her foot. It sent shivers down her spine in the best way, but she kept her face the same lest she give herself away.

“That hurt?” he asked softly.

“No,” she shook her head.

Andy’s grin—if it was even possible—grew wider. “Awesome.”

 

The spent the hours after that keeping themselves busy as the storm continued to rage. Andy did more searching, and found some old board games in a pile on one of the shelves. April tried to teach him how to play chess, but he didn’t really seem to get the hang of it. He preferred checkers, which was fine with her, and his face lit up when he came across an old, beat up version of _“Operation”_ that still seemed to work.

Eventually, it was evening. They still hadn’t heard anything else about the weather, or whether or not it was safe to head back upstairs. April would check her phone for some sort of update, but nothing had really changed, so they stayed put.

Not that she was complaining. Aside from having a sprained ankle and being forced to remain immobile, being stuck with Andy was the best part of her week.

“You look tired,” Andy pointed out, as they finished their fifth game of “go fish” with an old, beat-up deck of cards. He was lying on his side so he was level with her, his eyes going from his cards to her and back again.

“I am, sorta,” April yawned. “My ankle’s starting to hurt again and we’ve been down here all day…”

“Oh, here!” Andy took her medicine and removed a single pill from the tube, handing it to her along with a bottle of water. “Dr. Harris said you can take one whenever the pain comes back.”

April couldn’t believe he’d actually paid attention to what Harris had even told them. Andy wasn’t exactly known for his attention span, but apparently it had been important enough to him to listen. She secretly took pride in that little fact, and it made her feel a bit better.

She took the pill from him with a shy smile. “Thanks…for this and for everything today.”

“It’s nothing,” Andy shrugged. “I like hanging out with you, April.”

She didn’t say anything else, but stretched out on the air mattress, her cards forgotten. “I think I’m gonna try to get some sleep, if that’s okay.”

“Yeah,” Andy nodded, tossing his cards in the pile. “I think that sounds good. I will too. I mean, who knows how long we could be down here for, and I’m not very good at ‘Go Fish.’”

He leaned forward and lifted the blanket enough for April to scoot beneath it. Then, he bunched up the bits of sleeping bag near her feet and propped up her ankle, making sure the ice pack was still in place. Once that was done, he slid under the blanket beside her.

“This cool?” he asked softly. “It’s kinda cold down here.”

“Yeah,” she said, immediately noticing how quickly his body heat spread beneath the blanket. It was amazingly comfortable. “Definitely.”

“April,” Andy turned on his side, adjusting his position to face her. “I’m really glad I’m stuck here with you,” he smiled. “You’re like, the coolest person ever.”

“Me too,” she grinned back at him. “And I’m not that cool, but thanks.”

He scooted closer, until he was barely half a foot away from her. April could see every eyelash, every line in his smile.

“You are too,” he insisted. “You’re just…” Andy stopped, trailing off and instead choosing to focus on her face. April was staring intently at his lips, which seemed so incredibly close now. “You’re beautiful, April.”

Kissing him didn’t take much more thought after that.

His lips were warm and soft, and still tasted a little like pizza. From her position, she couldn’t do much in the way of movement, but she reached out and cupped his cheek all the same. She rubbed her fingers against the short, patchy beard there and loved the feel of it against her skin. Andy mirrored her movements, his own fingers tangling in her black strands as he tucked a few locks behind her ears. Neither of them spoke for a long while after that, simply enjoying the feel of each other’s lips, occasionally taking a moment to catch their breaths.

April’s ankle had long since stopped hurting. It could’ve easily been the pain meds, but she honestly thought this was better than any numbing agent Dr. Harris could’ve given her. The only sensation she knew right now was Andy, and it was all that mattered. She didn’t even hear her phone going off with a text from Leslie, informing them that the storm was passing and it would soon be safe to go back upstairs.

Once they broke apart that first time, it was hard to stay separated for much longer. April started to fall asleep tucked against Andy’s chest, while he gathered up the warm comforter and covered the both of them from the head down.

“You’re so little, April,” Andy mumbled against her forehead, tucked somewhere against his neck.

“And you’re so big,” she yawned in reply. She reached for his hand under the blanket, and he immediately held onto hers. 

“Yeah,” he chuckled softly, shifting, if possible, even closer. “I guess I am.”

“Guess we’re a good match then,” her voice drifted off. For a cold, damp basement, she’d never felt more comfortable.

“Mmhm.”

 

It wasn’t the sound of their phones ringing that woke them up the following morning, nor was it the shaft of sunlight that had managed to break through the tiny, horizontal basement window. It was the pounding on the front door that reverberated throughout the house, and the loud, nervous voice of Leslie Knope wondering if April and Andy were okay.

With a yawn and a stretch, April pushed her arms out, and for a moment was confused exactly why they came into contact with the warm, slightly sweaty clothed chest beside her. She looked over, and Andy was still fast asleep, his arm slung over her stomach.

“Andy—“ She nudged him.

“Hmm…what’s…” he shifted, and yawned. “What’s happening? You need more medicine?” he asked groggily.

“No, I’m fine,” she said, sitting up a little. “Andy, do you hear that? Is that Leslie?”

He listened for a moment, his eyes clouded with sleep and his hair shooting up in all different directions.

“Yeah,” he looked up at the floor above them. “That’s her all right.”

“Oh my God,” she rolled her eyes.

“I guess the storm is over?”

“Yeah, guess so,” she nodded.

Andy sat up and stretched. He was staring at her, his eyes a little shy. She could tell he was thinking of the previous night.

“So,” he scratched his neck.

“Yeah?”

“About last night,” he began, trying to gauge her reaction. “I thought it was…y’know, pretty awesome.”

Relief hit her like a wave. He didn't regret it like she feared he would. “Yeah,” she bit her lip. “Me too.”

Andy pumped his fist in the air. She couldn’t help laughing at how much of a dork he was.

“Well, what should we do now?” he asked. “I mean, I can totally stay here until your parents come back—if you wanted me to, I mean, I don’t wanna sound like—“

“Dude, of course I want you to stay!” She had to make sure he understood that. “I think first we ought to go let Leslie know we’re okay. She might break down the door if we don’t.”

“Yeah,” he nodded, smiling wide. He lifted her easily, the way she was so quickly becoming accustomed to. “Let’s go.”

If being with Andy Dwyer was what came of her stupid broken ankle, she could definitely get used to this. In fact, she might just have to thank Jerry for leaving his stupid briefcase in the middle of the floor.


End file.
